


Pridecember, two types of Cocoa

by Pridefulrose



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27862418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pridefulrose/pseuds/Pridefulrose
Summary: A tentative collection of pridecember one shots if I have the energy.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Pridecember, two types of Cocoa

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy these holidays, I am not sure if i will continue more prompts but just in case i will leave it open. The first prompt is hot cocoa for the third date and I will be happy to share a little bit of my traditinal background. Also there is more than one type of hot cocoa give Seto the forbidden Mayan cocoa you cowards!

The truth about having a relationship with Seto was that he had to travel a lot, mostly to the United States. At first, it was manageable, but the distance started to wear on Atem after the fifth time. It was tiring to wait for Seto for a month when he was a multi-billionaire and had a private jet. Atem had used it on occasion, but he'd decided he'd rather come along. 

America was a very unique place. It was way bigger than Japan. The vast expanse of land was difficult for Atem to quantify in his head. However, there was something that he loved about the land of the free, and that was the diversity. There were so many cultures mixed together. He could walk down the streets and see up to seven different restaurants that were nothing alike. The food was almost a small adventure in itself.  
It seemed Seto also shared this enthusiasm. Atem was glad to see that he had made sure that he surrounded himself with different people in the KC headquarters as well as in his new modern mansion. He had a varied selection of chefs from different nationalities. Sometimes they were only very talented cooks, but he always admired talent and dedication, even if someone didn’t have a fancy degree on high cuisine. There was a charm to homemade cooking he rediscovered with all the smaller businesses around the KC headquarters. 

December came, and as it did, the holidays followed. It was snowing only slightly, but it was cold. Mokuba and Atem were musing about what to do for their weekly movie night. They were at the kitchen counter while Sandra, one of the cooks, was preparing their food, pollo guisado. It was always good to have. It was a classic dish that was enjoyed in her family. It was done by stir frying onions, chili for some spice, garlic, several spices called relajo, and frying them together with chicken. Then, a thick tomato sauce would be poured and it would be set to boil. Then potatoes and carrots were added. To finish, a lil bit of cream was added, if so desired, and cilantro. It was served with rice. Both Mokuba and Atem were enjoying the dish as they spoke. The chicken was so tender it fell apart instantly, almost melting in their mouths. 

“I want to give Seto a drink that is NOT coffee. I just want him to relax instead of drinking coffee, waiting until everyone is asleep, and then continuing working,” complained Atem. 

“HA! You're not the only one. I've tried to do that for years, but he refuses anything that isn't coffee because it's too sweet. Even if it's tea, he will only drink green tea, which would still affect him as much as coffee,” Mokuba explained with exasperation. 

Sandra did not mean to listen in on the conversation, but as soon as she heard it, she had an idea. 

Mexican or Salvadorian chocolate would do. It was bitter, almost like coffee, and if she got permission for it she could control the quantity of sugar in it so Mr. Kaiba would not have to deal with the more commercial version. It also happened to have several spices that enhanced the flavor, if she decided to make her family’s version of the beverage. 

She cleared her throat lightly. The sound made the two young men turn around. 

“Señor Atem, I might have a suggestion.” 

Atem looked at her and encouraged her with a nod.

“There is another version of hot chocolate, one done in Mexico and Central America. It uses 100% cacao and it's as bitter as any coffee that el Señor Kaiba loves.” 

They both looked at her curiously, their eyes shining at this new information. 

“I could prepare some for your movie night. I would only need to get approval to get the ingredients for Friday.” 

They looked at each other and smiled. 

Mokuba turned to her with gratitude and great hope, “Just tell Isono what you need. It doesn't matter where in the world it's from, he'll get it for you.” 

She laughed, “Que Bueno, because I need cacao seeds and maiz blanco, which I won’t get so easily here.” 

Mokuba had no idea what maiz blanco was, but he trusted her to make something good for them. 

“We'll be waiting, Sandra!” interrupted Atem excitedly. He hoped Seto would love it. 

Friday came soon. Sandra came in, as she had promised, and took out all of the ingredients. It would take a couple of hours since she was doing the chocolate from scratch. She, however, was not expecting company.

“Señor Atem! Señor Jesucristo Bendito! No me asuste asi!” She said breathlessly when she noticed the short man at her side. 

He showed both his hands and tried to calm her. “I'm sorry Sandra! I did not mean to scare you. I was just curious about this drink and wanted to watch the process of making it.”

“Oh.” she blushed nervously. “Well, you see, it is quite long. Are you sure you want to watch, Señor Atem?" 

He smiled amicably and nodded. 

She took out fresh cacao seeds from one of the bags she was carrying and prepared a pan. 

“First, we have to roast them, and that requires some time.” Next, she took out a particular kind of corn. “This is Maiz Blanco. It helps the cacao to not become a ball. We have to roast it, too.” 

He looked at the cacao beans curiously. He had never seen them in person. He usually bought the processed cacao turned chocolate.  
They stood together and he saw her take out some cinnamon and anise. She grabbed some sugar. She was getting everything ready.  
Once the beans were ready came the peeling of the skin. It was a meticulous job, Atem learned. He was quietly helping her with the peeling. He enjoyed the process of having a small surprise for Seto. Even if he was just helping a little bit, he hoped that he could make Seto feel that each little bean had a bit of his love.  
Sandra took out a very powerful grinder and they ground both the maize and the cacao beans together. 

She smiled at him. 

“Mire, first you are going to boil some water, and then add cinnamon and anise to let the water take some extra flavor. When it has boiled completely, you add the mix of cacao and slowly stir it. You add sugar but we won’t add too much since el Señor Kaiba does not like sweets much. You have to taste it frequently to know when it is perfect.”  
When it was ready, she took a mug and served him a little bit. 

Atem drank it and grimaced. It was as bitter as Seto’s favorite coffee. 

He smiled to himself, “I think it's perfect.” 

She rolled her eyes, “Here, we will add some more sugar for yours.” The sugar made it bearable, and once the perfect harmony was achieved, he could gratefully taste all of the flavors. It was slightly spicy, and the cinnamon and anise enhanced the flavor of the cocoa. It was a dark and rich mixture. He hummed happily. It was also quite filling. 

“I admire how you have so much knowledge about this.”

She smiled and her eyes shone with love, “ To tell you the truth, all of these recipes come from our abuelitas. They have the best recipes in the world! Not even a trained chef can compare to them.” 

Atem chuckled, "I would be forever grateful to your abuelitas and your culture if this beverage manages to make Seto leave his coffee for a bit.” 

“It is Mayan tradition. Mexico and Central America share many aspects of their culture because of these ancestors. It is one of the few things that survived and evolved with us after colonization. Food. We were proud warriors and an exuberant civilization, now most of our knowledge is lost. I am glad, though, that these little things somehow managed to survive.”

“Ancient Egypt suffered innumerable pillages from other countries. Many mummies were lost to the rich and their myths.”

There was a moment of silence. They mourned the riches that were lost. 

He understood how hard it was to try to look at the past and have lost any clue of it. He guessed the entire culture was going to be forever mourned by Mesoamerica. It was a sad reality. He knew that Egypt had gone through colonization as well. The tales were always of sadness, sometimes hatred, but always mourning of the cultures lost to these events.  
He squeezed her shoulder when her silence lingered, and he smiled at her encouragingly. 

“Señor Kaiba would say that we cannot change the past, but we can always change the future. Maybe we can’t have back what we lost, but we can always teach our children about these traditions.” 

“He may not be a man of traditions, but he is certainly a family man. I think he would admire the effort.” Atem answered kindly. 

Nighttime came rapidly, Mokuba organizing everything. He had the pillows and the blankets. The snacks were waiting for them. Seto was sitting down on the couch writing on his iPad while he was waiting for them. Atem was wearing his black pajamas. He went to the kitchen to see if the chocolate was ready. He had made two pots, one of the more commercial hot chocolate with milk, and the other of the traditional dark chocolate. He was excited about the whole thing. He served the three beverages, making sure Mokuba’s had marshmallows in it. He took the last one and marched into the room. 

He gave Mokuba his own cup, and then Seto. Atem settled in and waited for the verdict. Seto looked at it, then looked at Atem’s. His eyebrow raised. He took a first sip. He let it sit in his tongue and then swallowed. He hummed. Atem looked at him with a bright smile. 

“This isn't coffee... or is it?"

“No, it is not,” answered Atem. 

He took another sip. It had a very rich flavor. It was bitter. It was delicious, but he was sure he had never had it before. 

“What is it?”

“It is Mayan chocolate” 

“Mayan? Is it from Sandra?” he questioned, remembering some of the details of his studies about the Americas. He remembered vaguely her heritage. 

Atem was extremely pleased with how Seto seemed to enjoy it. They got comfortable for the movies. His heart was feeling warmth when Seto stood up to take another cup. 

“It's very filling,” Seto commented. 

“Well, it is still cocoa," Atem said, and kissed Seto's, lips tasting the bittersweet chocolate on them. 

He deemed the night a great success. 

When Sandra came back the next week, Atem came into the kitchen and thanked her. He was sure Seto had loved the hot cocoa. He never thought Seto would share hot cocoa with him but, as Sandra had proved to him, he only needed a slightly different type of it for them to enjoy it together. 

“Ah, que Bueno! Me alegra Señor Atem.” 

He smiled at her and told her that he expected more pleasant surprises from her. Sandra blushed at the praise, feeling proud of being a mini ambassador for her traditions in the Kaiba household. 

“ Abuelita, you wouldn’t believe it, but el Señor Kaiba adored your recipe!” 

“Ah Que Bueno mija! Hay que darle mas de comer por que esta super flaquito.“

She laughed wholeheartedly. Of course her grandma wanted to feed the poor CEO more. If she was let loose, she would surely make the man gain more than a few pounds.


End file.
